Use of Relative Time of Receipt of Voice Command as Basis to Control Response to Voice Command

2. The method of claim 1, wherein exchanging with each other, by the multiple devices, their determined respective times of receipt of the voice-command utterance comprises each given device of the multiple devices transmitting for receipt by each other device of the multiple devices a respective signal indicating the respective time of receipt of the voice-command utterance by the given device.

3. The method of claim 2, wherein transmitting for receipt by each other device of the multiple devices the respective signal indicating the respective time of receipt of the voice-command utterance by the given device comprises broadcasting or multicasting the respective signal.

4. The method of claim 2, further comprising including by each given device, in the respective signal that the given device transmits for receipt by each other device of the multiple devices, data that indicates the received voice-command utterance in a manner that enables each other device of the multiple devices to determine that the voice-command utterance received by the given device is the same voice-command utterance as received by the other device.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of (i) a hash value computed algorithmically based on the voice-command utterance received by the given device and (ii) a digital fingerprint of the voice-command utterance received by the given device.

6. The method of claim 4, wherein the determining of whether any other device of the multiple devices received the voice-command utterance earlier than the given device and the controlling whether the given device will trigger action in response to the voice-command utterance are responsive to determining that at least one other device of the multiple devices received the same voice-command utterance as the given device.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising the multiple devices engaging in wireless signaling with each other to synchronize clocks of the devices in order to facilitate each given device determining, based on the exchanging, of whether any other device of the multiple devices received the voice-command utterance earlier than the given device.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein each device of the multiple devices is a controlling device, and wherein triggering action in response to the voice-command utterance comprises controlling one or more control targets.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein each device of the multiple devices is a switch, and wherein triggering action in response to the voice-command utterance comprises controlling one or more lights.

12. The system of claim 11, wherein the multiple devices exchanging with each other their determined respective times of receipt of the voice-command utterance comprises each given device of the multiple devices transmitting for receipt by each other device of the multiple devices a respective signal indicating the respective time of receipt of the voice-command utterance by the given device.

13. The system of claim 12, wherein transmitting for receipt by each other device of the multiple devices the respective signal indicating the respective time of receipt of the voice-command utterance by the given device comprises broadcasting or multicasting the respective signal.

15. The system of claim 14, wherein the data is selected from the group consisting of (i) a hash value computed algorithmically based on the voice-command utterance received by the given device and (ii) a digital fingerprint of the voice-command utterance received by the given device.

16. The system of claim 14, wherein the determining of whether any other device of the multiple devices received the voice-command utterance earlier than the given device and the controlling whether the given device will trigger action in response to the voice-command utterance are responsive to determining that at least one other device of the multiple devices received the same voice-command utterance as the given device.

18. The system of claim 11, wherein the multiple devices have synchronized clocks to facilitate each given device determining, based on the exchanging, of whether any other device of the multiple devices received the voice-command utterance earlier than the given device.

19. The system of claim 11, wherein each device of the multiple devices is a controlling device, and wherein triggering action in response to the voice-command utterance comprises controlling one or more control targets.

20. The system of claim 11, wherein each device of the multiple devices is a switch, and wherein triggering action in response to the voice-command utterance comprises controlling one or more lights.